Method, system and computer readable medium for making a business decision in response to information from a short distance wireless network

• US 20030114105A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCO V CLO Transferor LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Inventors: Itzchak, Avraham, Fornell, Peter, Haller, Amit, Haparnas, Ziv
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium allows a short distance wireless network or networks to provide information to a telecommunication server, or other third party processing device, in order to make a business decision according to embodiments of the present invention. In embodiments of the present invention, the information is 1) wide area network telecommunication usage of a device in the short distance wireless network, 2) the device health, 3) the battery health of the device. In an embodiment of the present invention, the business decision includes 1) generating an invoice based on the type and manufacturer of device accessing the telecommunication network, the type and period of time of data transferred, 2) providing a replacement device 3) providing a replacement battery, 4) downloading a software component to the device for added service, 5) providing a pricing plan, 6) providing a promotional plan or 7) changing a rate schedule.

Claims

25. ) A method for making a business decision, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining device information from a device in a short distance wireless network; and

,

(b) providing a user of the short distance wireless network with an object responsive to the device information.

1. ) A method, comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining information from a first short distance wireless network; and

,

(b) making a business decision responsive to the information.

2. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the information from a Bluetooth™

device.

3. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the information from a device having a 2.4 GHZ transceiver.

4. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the information from a device having a 5.7 GHz transceiver.

5. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the information from a cellular modem, in the short distance wireless network, communicating with a Wide Area Network (“

WAN”

).

6. ) The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining the information from a cellular modem step is in response to a request from a server in the WAN.

7. ) The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining the information from a cellular modem is generated periodically by the cellular modem.

8. ) The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining information from a cellular modem is generated in response to a user input.

9. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the information from a cellular telephone, in the short distance wireless network, communicating with a Wide Area Network (“

WAN”

).

10. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining step further includes the step of obtaining information from a second short distance wireless network.

11. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the information is WAN telecommunication usage of a device in the first short distance wireless network.

12. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the information is an indication of the health of a device in the first short distance wireless network.

13. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the information is an indication of the health of a battery of a device in the first short distance wireless network.

14. ) The method of claim 12, wherein the making step includes the step of providing a user of the short distance wireless network with a replacement device.

15. ) The method of claim 13, wherein the making step includes the step of providing a user of the short distance wireless network with a replacement battery.

16. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the making step includes the step of downloading a software component to a device in the short distance wireless, wherein the software component provides a service to the short distance wireless network.

17. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the making step includes the step of generating an invoice for a user of the first short distance wireless network.

18. ) The method of claim 17, wherein the invoice includes a first charge for a first manufacturer device in the short distance wireless network.

19. ) The method of claim 17, wherein the invoice includes a first charge for a device, in the short distance wireless network, transferring a first type of data on a wide area network and a second charge for the device transferring a second type of data on the wide area network.

20. ) The method of claim 17, wherein the invoice includes a first charge for a first type of device, in the short distance wireless network, for accessing a wide area network and a second charge for second type of device, in the short distance wireless network, accessing the wide area network.

21. ) The method of claim 19, wherein the transferring the first type of data is during a first period of time and the transferring the second type of data is during a second period of time.

22. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the making step includes the step of generating a pricing plan for a user of the first short distance wireless network responsive to the information.

23. ) The method of claim 10, wherein the making step includes the step of providing a promotional plan for a first user of the first short distance wireless network and a second user of the second short distance wireless network.

24. ) The method of claim 23, wherein the providing a promotional plan step includes providing the first user a device, at a discounted cost, for the first short distance wireless network.

26. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device is a cellular telephone.

27. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device is a Bluetooth™

device communicating with a cellular device.

28. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the obtaining step further includes the step of obtaining user information from a database in a wide area network and the providing step is responsive to the device information and the user information.

29. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device information includes an indication of a battery life of the device and the object is a battery.

30. ) The method of claim 29, wherein the providing step includes the step of mailing the battery to the user.

31. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device information includes the health of the device and the object includes a replacement device.

32. ) The method of claim 28, wherein the device information is a telecommunication usage of the device on the wide area network and the object is an invoice for charges associated with the telecommunication usage.

33. ) The method of claim 32, wherein the user information includes a pricing plan of the user and the wide area network includes a cellular network.

35. ) The method of claim 33, wherein the charges are a function of a device type.

36. ) The method of claim 33, wherein the charges are a function of the type of data transferred during the telecommunication usage.

37. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the information is a telecommunication usage on a wide area network and the object is a message for limiting the telecommunication usage.

38. ) The method of claim 28, wherein the obtaining step further comprises the steps of:

(c) generating a short range radio signal, containing the information, from the Bluetooth™

device, to a cellular device; and

,

(d) generating a cellular signal, containing the information, from the cellular device to a processing device in a wide area network.

39. ) The method of claim 38, wherein the generating a short range radio signal is responsive to a user input.

40. ) The method of claim 38, wherein the generating a short range radio signal is generated periodically.

41. ) The method of claim 38, wherein the generating a short range radio signal is responsive to a comparison between a threshold value and a device value.

42. ) The method of claim 26, wherein the obtaining step further comprises the step of:

(c) generating a cellular signal, containing the device information, responsive to a request message.

43. ) The method of claim 42, wherein the request message is generated periodically.

44. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device includes a short-range radio processor and a 2.4 GHZ transceiver.

45. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device includes a short-range radio processor and a 5.7 GHZ transceiver.

46. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, a headset, a pager, a printer, a watch, a thin terminal, a digital camera and an equivalent.

47. ) The method of claim 25, wherein the short distance wireless network is a Bluetooth™

network.

35-1. ) The method of claim 33, wherein the charges are a function of the period of time of the telecommunication usage.

48. ) A method for providing a user with a battery, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a short-range radio signal, containing information regarding a battery life of a device, from the device in a short distance wireless network to a cellular device;

(b) generating a cellular signal, containing the information, from the cellular device to a processing device in a wide area network; and

,

(c) providing the user of the short distance wireless network with the battery for the device responsive to the information.

49. ) A method for billing a user of a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a short-range radio signal, containing usage information of a device on the telecommunication network, from the device in a short distance wireless network to a cellular device;

(b) generating a cellular signal, containing the usage information, from the cellular device to a processing device in the telecommunication network; and

,

(c) providing the user with an invoice for charges associated with the usage information.

50. ) A system for providing an object to a user of a short distance wireless network, comprising:

(a) a device for generating a short-range radio signal containing device information;

(b) a cellular device for generating a cellular signal, containing the device information, responsive to the short-range radio signal; and

,

(c) a processing device, having a database containing user information, for providing an object to the user responsive to the device information and the user information.

51. ) The system of claim 50, wherein the processing device is in a wide area network and the object is an invoice for usage of the device on the wide area network.

52. ) The system of claim 50, wherein the object is a battery and the device information includes the battery life of the device.

53. ) The system of claim 50, wherein the object is a replacement device and the device information includes the status of the device.

54. ) An article of manufacturer, including a computer readable medium, comprising:

(a) a short-range radio software component for receiving a short-range radio signal, containing a usage information of a device, in a short distance wireless network responsive to a message request; and

,

(b) a cellular software component for generating a cellular signal, containing the usage information of the device, in the cellular network.